Conventionally, silage and other feed materials are stored in structures such as silos. The feed material is often removed from the structure by way of a bottom unloader. A conventional bottom unloader is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,635,770 to Tiedemann, which is herein incorporated by reference.
Conventional bottom unloaders suffer from several disadvantages, including chain clogging which requires starting and stopping the unloader in forward and reverse directions to free the chain. This process often leads to breaking the chain, requiring removal of the unloader and repair of the chain. Other disadvantages of conventional bottom unloaders include low feed rates, inability to convey hailage at moisture levels above 50%, high maintenance costs and high utility costs. Furthermore, the unreliability of the bottom unloaders requires an operator to stay with the machine during unloading to prevent clogging.
The present invention has been developed in view of the foregoing.